Motivation
by Miss0Lemonade
Summary: Why did Snape ultimately turn to the Dark Arts? Years of hatred between himself and the Marauders is too plain a theory for me! Broken heart and a strong desire for power, now there's a worthwhile plot bunny! Not so sappy as realistic, not mary sue
1. Of Daisies, Dreams, and Dames

Motivation

By Miss0Lemonade

Chapter One; Of Daisies, Dreams, and Dames

Author's Doom: This used to be two chapters, but they were way too short, so they've been combined into one. Next chapter will probably be this long.

It was a brisk day at the end of a languid summer. A light breeze played with the black strands of a boy's hair as he fought with a large trunk forcing it into a small cart. Not one of the many people rushing around him in the busy London train station stopped to glance at him as he grunted with effort. Finally he managed the heavy trunk into the wire cart. Glaring malevolently at anyone he made eye contact with, he pushed forward, the squeaking of the wheels sending sharp pains through his skull. Glancing briefly around him he made his way to Platform 9. With a final condemning thought (_At least here I can fight back a little_) he strode confidently towards the brick column between Platforms 9 and 10.

An owl's screech greeted him as he walked onto Platform 9 3/4. Teenagers adorned with badges directed the less experienced among them with generic announcements. Shouts and greetings rang out all around him; students discussing what they had done over the summer, commenting on a new hair cut or cloak.

The boy had neither new clothes nor any greetings. His gray shirt had a hole in the right sleeve near his thumb and the hem was fraying. His black slacks were nearly worn out; a belt loop was disconnected on his hip. His big toe wiggled through the growing hole in his left sock, scraping against the rough leather of his second-hand shoe. He received a few disdainful looks from some of the people around him. The boy simply set his face into his perpetual sneer, and dragged himself over to the baggage cart.

Half an hour later, a girl sat alone in a modestly small room aboard the Hogwarts Express. She sat next to the window, her feet propped up in the seat opposite her. Her honey brown eyes focused intently on the Daily Prophet newspaper draped casually over her lap. A picture in the cent of the page unceremoniously displayed a scene of utter chaos. Several wizards ran about in front of a house that had been burnt to the ground. The headline read RESILIN FAMILY DIES IN FIRE, SUSPECTED VICTIMS OF THE "PURE BLOOD MURDERER".

A frown turned the corners of her thin lips as she put the paper away with a wave of her wand. She sighed, already bored with the beautiful English countryside that zipped past her window.

Standing outside her compartment, the boy with stringy black hair looked hopefully through the window in the door. The room wasn't empty as he'd hoped, but he doubted he would be able to find an empty one by this point. Resigning himself with a sigh, he gripped the door handle and yanked it open. Startled, the girl jumped to her feet, her wand now pointed directly at the boy's hooked nose. Blinking, she recognized him as her classmate, and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry 'bout that," she breathed, her heart still racing. "I've been so jumpy lately."

The boy shrugged his indifference. "D'you mind if I sit in here?" he asked apathetically.

"Oh. No, I don't mind," she replied, partly glad she wouldn't be so bored, and partly sad that her peaceful repose had been interrupted. She sat back down, and watched the boy's reflection as he sat down carelessly in the middle of the opposite seat, taking out of his bag an used edition of A Wizard's Guide to Defending Yourself Against Muggles and Their Inventions. "My name's Katarina, by the way. Katarina Coppes," she introduced, offering her hand.

He glanced at the hand, and regarded it as a booby trap. "Severus Snape," he grimaced as he returned to his book.

She smiled blithely, still offering her hand. "You can call me Katarina if you want."

Glancing at her hand again, Severus decided that touching her would probably not kill him, and she'd hopefully leave him alone. He reached out attentively, and gripped her strangely warm hand. She shook it twice, her smile widening. He released the hand, her fingers gently grazing across his palm. The touch sent an indescribable shiver up his spine.

Both of the now solemn teenagers leaned back into their own seats at the same time. "Call me-" he didn't finish. This five sentence conversation had been the most amiable on he'd had in years. At least where his peers were concerned. The entire school was so in love with James Potty and his friends that they instantly disliked anyone that their heroes didn't endorse. The "one" in "anyone" meaning Severus Snape. Could this girl really be that unaware of his disdain for her? "Call me Snape," he stated, coming to the conclusion that this had to be a trick in some way; this girl didn't deserve that kind of generosity on his behalf.

"Okay. Whatever you say," said Katarina, her joy obviously deflated. She stared out of the window, wondering why this boy was so distrustful. She didn't believe she'd come off too strong, as she'd been told she had a tendency to do. Katarina was so immersed in her own thoughts, she didn't notice Severus's body suddenly become rigid. She didn't see the anxious look in his eyes as they fixated on the door window. And she certainly didn't hear the snide calls faintly coming from down the hall. But she did notice when he jumped off his seat and took his wand out of his pocket. "What're you-"

"Shush!" he cut her off, emphasizing with his free hand. Holding his breath, he looked through the window, down the hallway, seeing a pair of sharply dressed legs ambling towards their door. Grinning horribly he remembered the hex he'd read about over the summer, and slid open the door as inconspicuously as he could.

----

"Ooooh, Snivellus, where did you run off to?" called a scathingly friendly voice. Sneering maliciously, the teenager's voice carried throughout the train. He stood two inches taller than his seemingly meek friend, who gazed uninterestedly at him with honey toned eyes. Shaking his light brown bangs out of his face, he chastised his comrade.

"C'mon Padfoot, do you really want to start up before we even get to school?"

"Yes, Moony dearest," came the instant response. "Before he has the chance to develop any sense of security," the taller boy answered, malevolence glinting in his eyes as he glanced into another compartment, disappointed yet again.

"Seriously, can't you just let it be? It's a new year, our second to last. Just let it be."

"After he covered Prongs in boils for three weeks?!" he asked with an insulted tone. "Remus, we lost the Cup because of him! I need my revenge, Gryffindor needs revenge!" he said loudly, drawing more attention from the surrounding compartments. A pair of startling green eyes gazed out of one curiously at first, then furiously as she recognized the shouter.

"Sirius Black, what are you going on about now?" she accused, storming out of her room. Sirius groaned inwardly at the sight of her. _Her_, the one who had broken his best mate's heart over and over again.

"Go back to plotting the next time you'll crush James's hopes, Evans, this isn't your business."

"It's my business if you get points docked before you even step off the train."

While Sirius was busy arguing with one Lily Evans, a head of stringy black hair peeked out of a nearby compartment. Thin lips twisted into an awful grin, then whispered an incantation, a wand pointed at Sirius's feet. Grinning again, the head disappeared behind the door, which slid shut as quietly as it had opened.

"Evans, I honestly couldn't care less what you have to say, I'm paying Snivellus back for what…he…he's…" His face suddenly blanched. "He's dead! He's-" an unexpected burp interrupted his death threat. He closed his mouth, trying to collect himself, but suddenly his cheeks bulged out.

Lily, disgusted, backed away, as did Remus. With a cough, Sirius spat up a large bunch of fresh pink daisies. "Sn-Snape! You're de-CAFF!" he roared. Lily began laughing as more daisies spilled from Sirius's infuriated face. From the window in the door down the hall, an amused Katarina watched Sirius vomit.

"The pink's a nice touch," she commented airily. Severus simply sat near the window, a rare smile gracing his snide features for the first time in a long while.

----

Some time later, Severus let out a sigh as he closed his book. At first he had felt anxious, expecting Sirius to burst in, screaming a hex at him. But eventually the gagging sounds traveled down the hall, towards the head of the train, and he relaxed.

Looking across from him, he blinked when he saw Katarina asleep. He had barely noticed her at all at first. She had seemed so carefree when she introduced herself, but he wondered why she had jumped up, ready to defend herself when he came in. There had been a fleeting terror in her eyes that was slightly disturbing

But now Katarina's expression was rested, and by her position it didn't seem like she had fallen asleep purposefully. Her shoulder was jammed against the wall and her head was at a strange angle. Checking the clock above the door, Severus decided it was about time to get into his school robe.

Standing, he looked down at Katarina. She seemed so very peaceful, a different person might have felt bad for waking her up, but Severus felt no remorse as he said loudly, "Hey, Coppes." She merely mumbled something. "Hey, wake up," he said a little louder." She twitched. Snape let out a huff of frustration. He had turned and was about to walk out of the room, when Katarina's voice murmured pitiably at him.

"No, mum, I can't do it…nrm…" Katarina's face was contorted in concentration. "Mum, can't I rest…I don't wanna learn…that…curf…"

Feeling as if he was somehow intruding on something he shouldn't, Severus pulled out his wand and gave her a little shock with it. "Pudding!" she shouted as she came out of whatever dream that had shaken her so badly. "Hrm, I mean," she blustered, realizing where she was. "What's going on?"

"We'll be at school soon," said Severus as he pocketed his wand.

"Oh, right then. Thanks," Katarina said amiably. Severus just snorted as he reached to get his robes out of his bag. Long, black, and partially tattered, they were pulled out of the bag and just as he was about to put an arm in, he looked over, and was shocked to see a familiar green and silver emblem sewn on the chest of Katarina's robes.

"You're Slytherin?! I've never seen you before," Severus stated. Katarina looked down at her robe, at the embroidery, and looked gaily back up at him.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. I usually keep to myself, and I was out half of last semester, so I'm not surprised." Severus had concluded that she was a loner from the moment he had entered her compartment. No girl ever sat alone, especially not a Slytherin girl. They had horribly true reputations as terrible gossips and flirts, ones who had more of a tendency to act on their impulses than the high and mighty Gryffindor dames. Then again, there were always exceptions to the rules. Severus knew of one girl in particular, whom he had been wooing for some time now, who possessed more virtue than any girl he'd ever known. But she was too virtuous, seeing his advances as merely shows of friendship and platonic admiration.

What he wanted to do to Narcissa Lestrange was _far_ from platonic.


	2. Severus's Plight

-1Motivation

By Miss0Lemonade

Chapter Three; Severus's Plight

Author's Note: Thanks to Lady Domino for my very first review. It's much appreciated. I just went back and added the first and second chapters together, they were way too short. Enjoy, please review!

"Oy, Snape!" called a friendly voice. Severus's eyes tried to pick out the carriage from which he was being summoned, and succeeded without much trouble. A bright blonde head of hair stood next to one of the horseless carriages, blazing at him like a beacon. "Saved you a spot," said the owner of the silvery blonde hair, holding open the door.

"Thanks Lucius," Severus said, hauling himself inside. "Hello Bellatrix, Narcissa," he greeted them passively. Lucius Malfoy, the closest thing to a friend that Severus knew of, had been lusting after Bellatrix Lestrange, the younger and more curvaceous of the Lestrange sisters, since fifth year. Bellatrix and Severus were in the same year, Narcissa and Lucius were a year ahead of them.

"You'll be sure to give the Potty Patrol my wishes next year, won't you?" Lucius sneered as he sat down beside Snape and across from Bella. Rolling his eyes, Severus tried to ignore the way his friend was undressing Bellatrix with his eyes, and thought it rather pathetic. Snape knew from experience; the raven haired beauty wasn't nearly as exciting as she tried to make herself seem. He turned his eyes to her sister as the carriage rocked slightly as it pulled off.

Narcissa, on the other hand, was unexplored territory. He looked at her sitting across from him-the polar opposite of her floozy of a sister-slender, much paler, long glossy blonde hair that Severus longed to touch. "Have a pleasant summer, Narcissa?" he asked silkily.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by her sister. "Of course she did. Mother suggested she start looking seriously for a husband," here the younger Lestrange cackled, "before Mother finds one for her."

Narcissa turned a delicate shade of pink. "Next year, it'll be you panicking over your future spouse, you know." Bellatrix's face fell, and Narcissa smirked. Severus couldn't help but think to himselfhow much he enjoyed her wit. "And, to answer you, Snape," she faced him, "what I did over my summer is between any lovers I might or might not have made and myself, thank you." He chuckled at her remark, which she intended to be taken only at face value, but Severus always had to go deeper than the surface.

"Lovers? Like who, my dear? What kind of bloke captured your fanny-I mean fancy?" Bella laughed uproariously, obviously the only person besides Narcissa (who was pink again) who understood the true humor of the question.

"Who says it was a bloke?" Bellatrix said, gripping her sides in mirth. Narcissa whipped out her wand and slung a silencing charm on her sister, who only found her actions hilarious and nearly turned red from laughing.

"Narcissa, I'm surprised," Lucius grinned. "I never pegged you for having such a daring side."

"It's not what she makes it to be. He…he just he just had really nice hair, and Mother thought I was snogging a girl…she nearly killed me," Narcissa tried to put it off as no big deal, but she was still very pink. Severus wondered if he could ever make her blush like that…

"I think Bellatrix has something to say," Lucius laughed. Bella was currently flapping her mouth open and shut, but nothing was coming out, and her face was becoming redder.

"But I rather like her like this," Snape said snidely, "silent, you know."

Bella shot him a glare that would've melted sap off of a tree. Narcissa-now smiling-relinquished the charm, and Bella's rant began mid-stream. "-to not hear your whines about Gryffindor you disgusting git!"

"At least I have higher standards. I don't hop in bed with anyone who's played quidditch."

"At least I've had meaningful relationships!"

"Is that what they're calling one night stands these days?"

"Just because no girl in her right mind would touch you with a ten foot pole-"

"Oh shut it you two, we're almost to the castle," Lucius ordered good humouredly. He always thought the little spats that Snape and Lestrange shared were wonderfully amusing. They were always very immature, granted, but amusing none the less.

"Skank."

"Prat."

----

"And again, welcome to Hogwarts, may her halls keep your minds full to the brim with knowledge and good memories! Let the feast begin," concluded the headmaster of the school from the middle of the staff table. It stood in the Great Hall in front of four long tables seated by adolescents who were eagerly awaiting the end of the speech, so they could begin eating the famously delicious food of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a flash, empty punchbowls were full of different juices. Platters were besieged by rolls, turkeys, and hams. Pans of mashed potatoes and sweet yams and pies appeared, and were immediately attacked by ravenous teenagers. A few first years were shocked at first, wondering where all the food had come from, before realizing it would all be eaten if they didn't hurry.

The four tables were decorated in four different color combinations. Gold and red, canary yellow and purple, silver and green, and . A noticeable absence at the gold and red bedecked Gryffindor table had the whole hall talking.

"Where's he gone?"

"Might be wanting to make a big entrance, y'know?"

"I heard he was sick."

"Cursed y'think?"

"Daisies?!" asked the incredulous voice of a certain blonde Slytherin.

"Yes, pink daisies," smirked Severus. "And they won't stop until tomorrow, around noon. Can't be uncursed, and if they try to use a potion," he grinned maliciously, "they'll become very thorny roses."

"Wonderful, a great start," Lucius said. "Next, I say we get Pettigrew, the little worm."

"Oh, I've an idea," Severus said brightly. "Let's let Bellatrix sleep with him! Merlin knows what disease she'll give him." He received two glares, and an appreciative chuckle. "Oh, don't get pissy. It was just a joke," he muttered, sipping from his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Oh, hullo Snape," said a quiet voice from down the table. His black eyes looked up and into the light blue eyes of the girl he'd met on the train, the one who talks in her sleep.

"Coppes," he nodded. Malfoy's eyes darted between his friend and the strange girl no one ever really noticed. His mind was clicking rapidly with all the possibilities that simple communication implied. He watched as the girl smiled gently at the Lestrange sisters, and himself, before returning to her salad. She didn't acknowledge them for the rest of the evening. _How inconceivably odd, _he mused as they all headed for the dungeons.

"So, Severus, how do you know her?" he asked coolly as they passed through the entrance of the Slytherin common room.

"Hm? Who?" Snape asked confusedly.

"Her, that…the weird one," Lucius was aggravated that he didn't even know her name.

Severus glared at him bemusedly, before a look of recognition spread across his face. "Oh, Coppes?" he asked.

"Yeah, what's up with her?" Now they were walking towards the staircase that would take them to their separate dorm rooms; they were in different years after all.

"We just shared a room on the train, I couldn't find you guys, besides, I didn't really feel like dealing with Lestrange at the moment."

"Sooo, how'd you _deal_ with Coppes?" Lucius asked suggestively.

Severus's look was one of sheer disgust. "Give me more credit than that, Lucius. She's…she's just loony…I wouldn't touch her." Before he could defend his dignity any more, someone ran into him. He staggered back for a moment, out of surprise, before looking up at the pale face of Katarina Coppes.

"S-sorry, sorry, excuse me!" she breathlessly.

"What the blazes was that for?!" Snape shouted.

Katarina flinched, and said weakly, "Please don't shout, I already apologized you great git," she accosted. "Move."

"Why should I?" he challenged planting his feet.

"Oh, fine," she said resolutely. Before Severus could react, she had pulled out her wand, flicked it at him. Suddenly, he began laughing. Guffawing, actually. "Let's see you stand in my way now, Snape," she said grievously. Try as he might, Severus couldn't stop laughing. Eventually, his sides were hurting so much he fell to his knees. Katarina stepped over him, a triumphant smile plastered on her face.

"Get it off him, Coppes," Lucius demanded menacingly. He pulled out his own wand, aiming it straight at her heart.

"What if I don't?" she retorted.

"_Petrificus-_"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Katarina shouted before Malfoy could finish. His wand flew out of his hand, and she caught it without skipping a beat. She twirled it in her hand for a moment, examining the glare she was receiving from the blonde wizard, and finally sighed, tossing the wand back at him. "Oh bother, that wasn't any fun," she pouted. Without another word, she walked out of the common room, leaving Lucius to try to unjinx Snape.


	3. All For a Name

Motivation

By Miss0Lemonade

Chapter Three; All For a Name

Author's Note: J. K. Rowling owns all the places, products, and characters here, except a few of my own design. Why do you think her name's plastered all over the Hogwarts merchandise, hm? Also, if there are any mistakes here, feel free to attack me for them! I'm much too lazy to go back and find out exactly what years Snape, Malfoy and the Lestranges (I'll bet I got that wrong too!) so…I'm taking that as artistic license! Reviews are wonderful, as always. But above all, enjoy!

Oh, man! I just realized I made a huge mistake. I'll fix it, I screwed up Katarina's eye color! (punches own face) I despise inconsistancy!!!!! ACK!

Sighing, Katarina regretted attacking Snape out of the blue like she had. She strode confidently up the last of the many staircases that led out of the dungeons. She pondered why Snape had chosen-and he HAD chosen-to be so nasty to her without cause. Katarina had apologized. She was simply in a rush to find Madam Pomfrey.

Perhaps it was just because I had surprised him.

_Well, he could have just sneered and walked past you right?_

Maybe I was just adding on to more problems. The straw that broke the griffon's back or something.

_That still did not leave him any right to be so snotty to you, especially after that horrid nightmare._

But did I really have to jinx him?

_Of course you did! Defend your honor!_

"Oh, shut it!" she shouted suddenly, startling herself out of her reverie. The echoes reverberated off the walls, sending her into a quick realization as to just how alone she was at the moment. The sconces on the walls seemed to dim all of a sudden, and the shadows behind the corners seemed to darken. Katarina took a deep breath, brought out her wand with a trembling hand, and kept on towards the infirmary at a steady trot.

----

"I will not let you out of my sight at least until morning," urged the nurse at Sirius's bedside. He huffed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling of the nearly empty hospital wing, and trying his best to sound pleading, but not whiny.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey, I've already missed the-CAFF-feast because of some stupid little hex. Can't I at least go back to my own common room?" Mid-sentence he'd spat up yet another pink daisy blossom, much to his dissent.

"Aha, you see. They're not all gone quite yet!" she shouted triumphantly, snatching up the flower and tossing it in the rubbish bin. "Now, you'll stay in bed until morning, at the very least. That counter jinx isn't effective forever, only about ten hours. Try to get some-" she was cut off by a loud barrage of knocking on the locked infirmary door. "Of all the nonsense," Pomfrey mumbled as she crossed the room. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black is not accepting any-oh, Miss Coppes. My apologies, please come in."

The name piqued Sirius's interest, but not because it was familiar. Because he had never heard of Coppes before. He sat up a little straighter, peering past the plump figure of the nurse, only to find the visitor hidden in the shadows of the corridor outside. "Sorry, I don't want to be a bother. I'd forgotten about the potion, that is, until my head hit the pillow." She let out an odd sort of chuckle, as she followed the nurse inside.

"Oh, you poor dear. Here, I'll get it for you," Madam Pomfrey said pitiably, waving her hand at one of the crisp linen sheeted beds. She sat down, wrinkling the top of the bed slightly and sinking into a small indention. Now that Sirius could get a good look at her, he was rather disappointed. The green and silver badge of Slytherin was all too obvious on her chest. She seemed rather sullen too, like everything in the world was all so very disinteresting.

"Hi," he called, keeping his tone friendly, but not eager.

"Hello," she replied without looking at him. She sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back slightly on her hands. Her head was bowed, her chin rested on her chest. Her light, honey brown eyes were unfocused, staring past her knees and the floor. Sirius took this chance to analyze her body. Not too slender, she was definitely not like his cousin Narcissa the twig. She was wearing nice clothes, not shabby, but slightly odd on her body. Perhaps they were just too big. Her school robe was open, the laces were slackened, revealing a neutral blue top and knee length brown skirt.

"I'm Sirius Black," he offered. She chuckled and looked at him with amusement in her eyes.

"Everyone knows you, Black," she laughed. Her low ponytail swished on her back as she returned her gaze to the floor stones between the leather clogs on her feet. The candlelight glittered against her brown hair, bringing out a dull golden sheen.

"Oh, do they? I didn't know I was so popular," he mused. She shook her head.

"Oh, of course you didn't."

"But, in any case, I don't know your name," he tried.

"So? It's not like you have to know my name," she retorted.

"What if I want to?" This girl could be infuriating.

"Why would you want to, when you can have any Gryffindor throw themselves at your feet?" she said slyly.

"Now, that's a low blow," Sirius said in a wounded tone.

"A truthful one," came the even reply.

Sirius was silent for a moment, vaguely enjoying this banter. "So," he started, "what's the potion for?" he asked harmlessly.

She let out a bark of laughter. It made him smile. _Ha, bark. Pun. _"It's for the sanity of my dorm mates. I talk in my sleep. Well, more like shout."

Sirius felt an eye brow rise of its own accord on his face. "What, pray tell, do you shout?"

She stopped laughing, but the smile remained on her face, slightly crooked now. Turning to look at him, she wondered precisely how to answer such an innocent question. In a slightly dream-like state, she whispered something she herself couldn't remember.

"What?" Sirius hadn't heard her whisper, only seen her lips move. Before either of them could say anything else, Madam Pomfrey stalked back in, clicking her heels briskly.

"Here we are, dearie. Just what you need," she said cheerily, handing a glass bottle of dark, murky liquid to her. "Sorry, somehow it got lost in my office. Took me a while to find the bugger." Katarina took the bottle and clasped it to her chest.

"Heavy as always isn't it?" she smiled genially.

"Well, it's supposed to weigh down your tongue so you won't be able to talk, so yes." She gave the young girl a strange look, almost one of pity. "I do wish we could stop the…erm, dreams entirely."

She winced unconsciously, and smiled her gratitude at the healer. "Well, so long as I don't suffer the wrath of my room mates for them, I'll be fine," she grinned. Madam Pomfrey gave an uncomfortable smile.

"Well, can you make it back down to those dreary dungeons on your own, Miss Coppes?" A nod. "Are you sure? It's rather late, I wouldn't want you to run into any trouble…"

"I'm fine, really." Then she lowered her head and muttered, more darkly, "Mother at least taught me how to defend myself." Madam Pomfrey's breath hitched. "It's alright. I'll be seeing you when this runs out," she said, motioning to the bottle of potion in her arms.

"Of course, of course," the nurse murmured, closing the door behind the girl. She sighed tiredly, and turned the boy lying in bed, who had been paying careful attention to everything that had transpired. "And you, young man," she waggled her finger at him, "are not to tell a soul anything you heard tonight. And you'd do best to not dwell on it. It's her business, and unless she asks for your meddling, you shouldn't bother her."

"Madam, do you really take me for one that meddles?" he asked as if she had wounded him. She glared at him in response. He smiled genially back, until another cough ended in more pink petals.

----

"Now, class," called Professor Slughorn, a stout, round bowling ball of a man. "Make sure you have sliced away _all_ of the excess skin from your feather root before adding it in."

"Oh, shoot!" Katarina whispered. She had just added in a lot of chopped root that was covered in brown spots from a bad peel job. "Man, that's not good for my first day," she mumbled to herself.

Behind her, Severus, Bellatrix, and another Slytherin chuckled snidely. Due to Snape's superior potions skills, they had all produced a very nice looking lavender potion. By the end of class, Katarina was mumbling about dropping the class entirely, and Slytherin was gaining about thirty house points. Sirius had been watching the unspoken exchange carefully from across the room in between working on his own potion haphazardly. When he walked out of the dank dungeon classroom, a plan was already forming in his mind.

----

"Moony, Prongs, Wormtail," Sirius called out as he headed for the lake side during his first break period.

"Padfoot?" Remus returned calmly.

"I need your help, Moony," Sirius said as he flopped down carelessly beside his friend, who blinked in confusion at the statement.

"My help? You? The famous Sirius Black needs my help?" he said incredulously.

"Yes, yes, shocking and all that," he said waving his hand dismissively. "I was wondering if the name Coppes sounds familiar."

"Coppes? Erm, no, not particularily. No, wait," his thin face showed his concentration, "no, there…was something. Coppes…Coppes…dunno." He sighed, sharing the empty looks his stouter friend and the taller friend wore. "I can't remember, though it sounds faintly familiar. Why?"

"Oh, just wondering. She's a sixth year, Slytherin. Light brown hair, brown eyes?" he offered.

"Nope, doesn't ring a bell. Again, why? Thinking of another one of your conquests?" Remus asked with half-hearted enthusiasm. James's eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Of a sort. She won't tell me her first name. I think she might be slightly loony anyway," he said as if it was nothing interesting. But James thought otherwise.

"She must be! No one's ever been able to resist that charm of yours, have they?"

"No," Peter chimed in, "not anyone we've ever known."

"Yeah, well. I think this one might be fun. She resists me so well, might actually be enjoyable to get her in bed." His friends chuckled at his antics. Usually, about once a month, Sirius set his sights on one girl. One girl in particular. Then he would achieve his final goal, be it getting some money from a bet, or getting another kind of prize.

"Twenty galleons says she doesn't sleep with him at all," Remus declared. Two pairs of eyes gazed at him wide with shock; the other seemed to be filled with laughter.

"Twenty? You have that little faith in me Moony?" he grinned.

"Well, if she could resist you while you were spouting daisies like a florist…" he said sarcastically, and his friends laughed at the sad irony of the statement.

"Twenty says he gets her in…two months," James challenged.


	4. The Quidditch Dilemma

Motivation

By Miss0Lemonade

Chapter Four; The Quidditch Dilemma

Author's Doom! Mwahaha, the typical cliché!! My character's house is short a player, mine swoops in and is the best! Nope, think again. Hehehe, this should be good.

"Are you kidding?!" shouted a voice from the quidditch pitch. Above the shouter, four young men bumbled around on brooms, clumsily trying to pass a red ball between them. "Were you all born with scum for brains? I can't tell if you're chasers or trolls! Get out of my sight, all of you!" Lucius raged.

"Oh, be calm Malfoy, there were a few in the beginning who weren't utter idiots," Bellatrix cooed from her place in the stands. She tried to keep her chuckling inaudible as Malfoy jumped on his broom and flew to her.

"Why don't you try out? You'd probably be a good seeker," he glared at her.

She examined her nails as she answered. "Not quite my niche. If you absolutely need a seeker by the end of try outs, I'll consider." Bellatrix passed a sneering glance at the two fourth years and the three fifth years who stood nervously by. "You've still got a few to go through."

"Stupid Van der Klum," he muttered as he flew high above her. "Just had to graduate didn't he? Couldn't wait 'til I was out too. Alright," he said loudly, summoning the attention of the five hopefuls, "you two. Get up, try to get past Snape." He pointed to the dark haired youth hovering near the three goalposts. Snape sneered at the younger pupils, who got on their brooms, one holding on to the quaffle with trembling hands.

An hour later, one of the fourth years was running away from the pitch with tears in her eyes, the other chasing after her to try and comfort her. Lucius huffed at their retreating backs, tossing his hair over his shoulder. Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh herself silly at what a drama queen Malfoy could be from time to time. She received a hex from said drama queen for her impudent laughter.

"Hopeless. Utterly hopeless," he muttered, slumping down on the bench beside Severus, who was decidedly uninterested.

"Well, at least we can force Bella to be seeker now, maybe those two fourth years could be chasers with you," he said as if it was of no consequence either way.

"I don't know, that girl was a little easy to break down." Malfoy said, looking up at the October sky. Brisk wind rustled the banners dangling from the stands. The sun was setting on another monotonous day of learning at Hogwarts.

"Erm, excuse me," came a soft voice from the entrance. Severus, Lucius, and Bellatrix all looked towards the voice with the same amount of surprise. There stood 'that Coppes git' as they had all come to call her. Severus couldn't repress a sneer spreading across his face. "Sorry for being late, had a detention." The other two soon had similar sneers. They had ruined several Gryffindor quidditch trophies, and managed to blame it successfully on her.

"Well, perhaps you should have had more respect for the quidditch teams of other houses," Lucius managed to say with a straight face. Bella-shameless as ever-burst into loud raucous laughter. Katherina simply smiled, shifting the broom in her hand to the other hand.

"From the tears I saw leaving the pitch, you're in desperate need for some players. I'm decent, probably better than some of the other trolls-!" she was cut off by a quaffle being thrown at her head. She caught it easily enough, and gave the thrower-one Severus Snape-a questioning look.

"Let's see how you are," he explained, kicking off of the ground. Bellatrix soared down from her seat in the stands gracefully.

"I want a part of this too."

"Alright, we'll all do it," Lucius said, taking off as well. Katherina took off her outer school robe, threw it to the ground and followed her schoolmates. Without warning, Lucius tossed the quaffle to her, but it went too high for her current position. She pulled up, stretching out her right arm. She managed to grip it, and cradled it to her stomach. Bellatrix wove in and out of the two beaters who'd joined up with them, aiming for the Coppes git. Ducking down to avoid her, Katherina pushed her broom onward, towards the goal posts. Bella mimicked her, pressing herself flat against the broom handle.

Katherina neared the base of the goal posts, flipped over another bludger, and zoomed upwards. Severus peered down at her, wondering what addle brained scheme this was. She grinned at him, pressing her broom faster. She was ten meters away, five meters; the quaffle was in her outstretched arm. As she whipped past Snape, she tossed the quaffle up, behind and past him. He turned around too slowly and the red ball passed through the hoop. He glared upwards at Katherina, who'd soared in a circle and come to a pause slightly in front of him. She smiled victoriously at him, and his sneer fell from his face, which now had a dull, angry look to it.

----

By the end of the try-out, Katherina had scored another goal on Severus, but he blocked the other three. Katherina politely thanked them for their time, and left the pitch with her school robe over her shoulder, her face flushed and her hands trembling from the exertion. Her fellow Slytherins hadn't given her any slack, pulling their best stunts to make her fail. She trotted across the grounds, unsure if she'd left a good impression on them. It didn't really matter, in the end. She'd either play or not, but she figured being on a Hogwarts quidditch team would look good when she would apply for a job or for further education. That and her rank in the Dueling Club would reflect well. There weren't many members-only about twenty-but they were all well enough wizards to play against other schools in the Biannual Academia Tournament.

She wondered if some friends she'd made in past BATs would be there again. She paused as a strong breeze rushed by, unsettling her ponytail and robes. She closed her eyes and remembered a certain wizard who'd beaten her by a mere hair's breadth last year, a short stick of a boy, but one who had proven to be a tough adversary. She wondered if she would be able to beat him this year, after spending the summer with her mother. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her left arm, and with a shudder kept walking.

----

Later that night, Severus, Bellatrix, Lucius, and Regulus Black-the chaser who'd been too busy to attend try-outs-approached Katherina, who was sitting enjoying her dinner in the Great Hall, at the end of the Slytherin table. She looked up blankly at the four gathered in a sort of semi-circle around her.

"You're the new chaser. Practice two Saturdays from now, be at the pitch around two," Lucius said flatly.

"Give us any trouble, you're off the team," Bella added snidely. Katherina nodded calmly at them, acknowledging how stiff they all were. It seemed they weren't exactly ecstatic to have her as a teammate.

"I'll behave, I promise," she said with a smile. Bellatrix twitched, Severus looked like he wanted to laugh, Regulus held back a smile. Lucius turned and led the way to an empty spot on the table. Sighing to herself, Katherina's smile fell as she turned back to her plate. _Hello, new awkward position._

Across the hall, Sirius Black sat looking at her, wondering what had just transpired. Beside him, a pretty faced girl with shoulder length blonde hair and gray blue eyes sat with a small, knowing smile on her face. "Taken an interest in a Slytherin girl now Siri? Dated every other girl on campus then have you?"

"I do have my standards, you know," he said, not taking his eyes away from the girl across the hall, who was draining her goblet and standing. "Do you know anything about her Annie?"

Andromeda viewed the girl in question. "Erm, not really. I think I have Dark Arts with her, she's pretty good. Her name's…something Coppes I believe. Katherine maybe."

"Thanks." Sirius rose, his plate long since emptied.

"Going so low as to stalk her now? Wow, Sirius, I'm impressed," his cousin laughed.

"I'm not stalking, I just happen to be going the exact same place she is," he winked at her. Andromeda laughed at him. Sometimes she worried about him, she knew he'd run away from home that past summer. But every time she saw him, he seemed the same old joker, if not even happier. Perhaps leaving home was the right move for him. She turned back to her dinner with more enthusiasm, wishing him all the luck she could.

"Where're you going Padfoot?" James asked as Sirius walked past him.

"Off to study," he said distractedly.

"You? Study?" he repeated incredulously. Sirius ignored him and rushed off after the Slytherin.

Remus leaned over to him and said liltingly, "But what he's studying, he didn't say." He pointed to Katherina's retreating back. James laughed encouragingly.

"Looks like you'll be out twenty galleons in a bit."

"No, I don't think so. I've got Transfiguration with her, she's quiet, but…there's something strange about her you know?"

"She's loony, but that doesn't mean Sirius can't get her to shag him," James protested.

"You just don't want to lose a bet, Prongs," Remus countered, reaching for a roll. "You can't stand not being right."

"You're the same if not worse Moony," James murmured, returning to his mashed potatoes. The smaller boy just chuckled at the pitiable comment.

----

"Oy, Coppes, wait up," Sirius called. Katherina paused at the corner of a hallway, and looked back. With a small sigh, she realized who it was. Black hadn't bothered her yet so far, but it seemed inevitable that they would eventually run into each other. She had hoped he wouldn't corner her like he was now, but what was she to do about it?

"What is it, Black?"

"You're first name," he said coolly as he walked up to her. "I want to know it."

"Why?" She'd already asked him that.

"Maybe I could help you out in Potions, you're not doing too well, are you?" he asked slyly. At the mention of her worst subject, Katherina began fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"No, I'm not. But if I need extra help, I'll just ask Professor Slughorn. He is the Head of my House, after all. But thanks for the offer. I'll see you later," she said, turning back down the hall.

"Are you sure? It'd probably be easier for me to explain things to you, you know, student to student?" he persisted.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Katherina chuckled.

"Some say it's one of my more redeeming qualities," he said, standing straighter and puffing out his chest.

"If pigheaded stubbornness is a good quality, I'd hate to find out a poor one." Sirius laughed his raucous, barking laugh. This conquest was going to be fun.


End file.
